Surging Mariners get past White Sox

SEATTLE -- Miguel Batista took a shutout into the seventh inning and Raul Ibanez continued his sudden surge with three hits to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 5-4 victory over the reeling Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Ibanez hit his seventh home run in 10 games -- he had six in his first 96 games. J.J. Putz struck out Alex Cintron with runners on first and third in the ninth for his 35th save in 37 chances, as the Mariners won for the fourth time in six games.

Seattle remained one-half game ahead of the Yankees in the wild-card standings and closed to within three games of the Angels for the West Division lead. The White Sox lost for a season-high sixth consecutive time and dropped into a last-place tie in the Central Division with the Kansas City Royals, who beat Oakland.

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RESULTS

at Minnesota 2, Texas 1 (10 innings): Nick Punto scored on a wild pitch with nobody out in the 10th. After striking out with two runners on and two out in the top of the 10th, Marlon Byrd missed Punto’s shallow fly ball, and the error allowed Punto to stretch a single into a triple. With Joe Mauer at the plate, reliever Jamey Wright bounced a pitch that got past catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Punto raced home.

at New York 6, Detroit 1: Jason Giambi hit two solo homers, one in the fourth inning and a drive deep into the right-field upper deck in the eighth, to help Andy Pettitte win his fourth consecutive start. Pettitte has won six of seven decisions since the All-Star break. He is 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA this month and 43-16 in August during his career.

at Toronto 5, Baltimore 2: A.J. Burnett won his second straight start and Frank Thomas hit his 506th career home run. Burnett, who gave up three hits and two runs over 6 1/3 innings, is 2-0 with a 1.96 earned-run average in two starts since returning from the disabled list Aug. 12 after sitting out 37 games because of a sore shoulder.

Cleveland 2, at Tampa Bay 1: Paul Byrd worked out of several jams and held the Devil Rays to one for 10 with runners in scoring position. The Blue Jays are 13-35 since June 25.

Kansas City 9, at Oakland 2: Emil Brown hit his first home run in over a month, and Brian Bannister pitched a four-hitter for his first complete game. Brown’s two-run shot, his first homer since July 14, highlighted a four-run first inning.

at Seattle 5, Chicago 4: Raul Ibanez hit his seventh home run in 10 games -- he had six in his first 96 games -- to lead the Mariners.

at Boston 8-5, Angels 4-7: Francisco Rodriguez blew the save and earned a victory in the second game. The Red Sox hit for the cycle against John Lackey during a six-run first inning in the opener.

From the Associated Press